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Gadgets, Gizmos, and Dohickeys => Cutting, Grinding, Polishing => Topic started by: brentnewton on February 20, 2019, 06:50:23 AM
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I have a DP Titan ... the water "spitter" died years ago and I have been using a aftermarket one. Seems like I remember you can buy rebuild kits for the Titan spitter ... but honestly I hate spitters. Is there a better solution? A better spitter? I never seem to feel like I am getting enough water on the wheel. I have toyed with the idea of installing a tank and pump and hoses, etc ... is there a downside to flooding diamond wheels???
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With the Titan there is a downside. I can't production cut with spitters so
I use a water bucket above with a tube and valve that I move to each wheel as I cut. I drill holes just large enough for the aquarium tubing above the wheel site.This works well so that I can hog away rough but something about the design of the hood above the wheels always seems to direct water to the baseboard and motor mount.I now elevate my pans a bit and use anything I can to deflect these wayward drips and use towels to sop up what cannot be caught. The Titan is a nice machine but I have a 50 year old cabber that is simply more functional for production cutting. Time for new bearings on the old machine and just use the Titan for fine sanding.
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I haven't gotten one of these yet but am planning on it . Will use with an aquarium pump. This is just an example of the type not necessarily recommending this particular unit.
https://www.amazon.com/MH-GLOBAL-Magnetic-Diameter-Flexible/dp/B07M8XVCDY/ref=sr_1_25?crid=24IB5JLOZVJR2&keywords=flexible+coolant+pipe&qid=1550681458&s=gateway&sprefix=flexible+coolant%2Caps%2C426&sr=8-25
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Kenny ... well, that looks like a slick solution if it works. I just ordered two of them and will report back on how effective they are when I get them. Thanks! I really didn't want to go installing a bucket and pump, lines, etc ... so hope this works. I am thinking I may have to drill a small hole in the top of the covers over each wheel and poke the nozzle in ... we'll see.
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And lithicbeads .... personally I miss silicon carbide some days. I like roughing on diamond ... but sure do like those flexible drums with sandpaper. I still do some final sanding on a silicon carbide expando-drum and polish on cerium oxide on leather .... just seems to do a better job on the stuff I cut, which is 90% quartz stuff like chalcedony, jasper, agates, gem silica, chrysoprase, etc. I may just be old and set in my ways too .... I have 50 years of experience ... only its the same year of experience 50 times .. LOL!
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I have bought two $9.00 harbor freight aquarium pumps, one for each of my units. They work fine with needle valves from HD and I get sufficient water on my 6" wheels and expandos. They are both going strong after three years.
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I may just .... put a bucket on top of the cover and epoxy in a hose and use these magnetic thingies and let it gravity feed. Guess there is more than one way to skin a cat. I figure if I just direct the hose to the front of the wheel ... I'm going to get real wet, so I gotta figure out where to introduce the water. For that matter ... I guess a bucket, some hoses and a few valves on top of the cover would be about as good a solution. But I suspect the problem quickly becomes emptying the trays .... with the spitters at least you are recycling the coolant and it does not get too full.
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I use aquarium pumps (the highest volume ones) and a spitter from Kingsley North. It is a much higher volume spitter than the DP ones. I think Kingsley North calls them wheel wetters.
Bob
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I also use sic mostly the coarse grits and they definitely need lots of lubrication.
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I have one of the Titan pumps still working and I use 2 of the Kingsley North Spitters (1 for each side) so I don't have to swap them back and forth. The combination of the DP spitter and the Kingsley North keeps my wheels well lubricated side to side.
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I use a 2 1/2 gallon plastic Nalgene jug that rests on a wood shelf about 2 1/2 feet above my wheels. The water pressure from gravity is more than adequate.
One thing that has helped distribute the water over the full width of my expando is a small piece of woven cloth material. The material is about 3/16" thick and very dense. I had made a water spray over the expando with a short piece of tubing with several holes drilled in it however the water "drips" favor the feed side (tank side) and came out at a lesser amount at the far downstream side. The woven cloth helped get water over the full width.
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